Slate-picker.



W. J. OWENS. SLATE PIGKER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 190's,

Patented Dec 28, 1909/ 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

amantoz W. J. OWENS.

SLATE PIC-KER. APPLICATION 21mm JULY 2, 1999.

Patented 1160.28, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Envenm Owerza W. J. OWENS.

SLATE PIGKER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1909.

944,904. Patented Dec.28,1909.

3 QEEETS-SHEET 3.

I I I :7 w/ 0) W 4 all Smuwntoz mZZz wmJwa/ems UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. OWENS, F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK LONGO, OF SCRAN'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLATE-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TILLIAM J. OwnNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Slate-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slate pickers, and has for an object to provide an apparatus of this character which will embody a novel and simple form of incline or table and to which material to be separated is fed, and to further provide novel and effective conveying means at the discharge end of the chute or table, the said means being adapted to receive the slate or like particles and convey the same to a point away from the apparatus.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of means for adjusting a portion of the incline or table angularly with respect to the remaining portion thereof so that the material to be separated can be regulated to the desired velocity.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means adjacent to the conveying means adapted through its engagement with the material in its movement upon the table or incline whereby the material will be forced across the slate conveying means and will effectively be held out ofv contact therewith.

The above mentioned and other objects are attained by the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, as disclosed on the drawings, set forth in this specification, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views :Figure 1 is a top plan view of the slate picker. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section taken through the forward portion of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of a portion of the apparatus showing the driving means for the slate conveying means. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the gate actuated crank members.

My improved slate picking apparatus comprises a frame 1 which is provided with a pair of rear spaced standards 2, a pair of front spaced standards 3, and a pair of intermediate spaced standards 4. The standards 2 and 4 are suitably connected with each other by means of brace members 5. The standards 3 and 4 are connected with each other by means of brace members 6. An inclined chute or table 7 is provided and prefer ably consists of a metallic member having a bottom 8 from which arises a pair of spaced side walls 9. The side walls of the incline are secured in any well known manner to the upper extremities of the spaced rear standards 2. The front end of the chute or table 7 is disposed slightly in advance of the intermediate standards 4 and the side walls 9 at this end are located inwardly of the side walls 10 which are carried by an adjustable retarding member 11. The retarding member 11 is provided with a relatively short bottom 12 which has its rear edge disposed immediately beneath the forward edge of the bottom 8 of the table or chute 7. Stub shafts 12 extend inwardly from the intermediate standards 4 at the upper ends thereof, and these shafts are operatively connected with .the side walls 10 of the retarding member so that the latter can be moved angularly.

The forward portion of the side walls of the retarding member are provided with enlargements 13 in which are formed longitudinally extending slots 14 which are disposed angularly with respect to the bottom of the frame 1. The slots 14 receive outwardly extending pintles or trunnions 15 which are carried by arms 16 upon a crank shaft 17. The crank shaft 17 is revolubly mounted in any suitable manner upon the members 6 of the frame and is provided with an operating lever 18 or other equivalent means whereby motion can be imparted to the crank shaft for effecting the just described angular movement of the retarding means. The operating lever 18 is provided with an adjusting bolt 19 which cooperates with an arcuate slot 20 which is formed in a member 21 carried by one of the base members 6.

The herein described retarder carries a retarding member or plate 22 which has its side edges secured to links or brackets 23. These links are pivotally mounted at their forward ends to the side walls 10, and as illustrated these links are connected to each other at their rear ends by a rod 24. These rods receive the lower extremities of links 25 which are slotted longitudinally as shown at 26 for receiving guide screws 27 The screws 27 are carried by the side walls 10 and are provided for the purpose of accomplishing a perfect movement of the links 25 as will be appreciated. The links 25 are pivotally connected at their upper ends with members 28 which are pivotally mounted upon the side walls 10 and as illustrated, one of these members carries an operating lever 29. The retarding plate 22 may be of any suitable well known construction but as herein shown it is substantially of triangular form and is provided with oppositely beveled forward edges 30 which intersect each other at a point centrally of the chute 7. The plate 30 is preferably formed from slate or other equivalent material which will possess sufficient friction surface so that it will be effective in its engagement with slate or similar matter to be separated from the coal.

The side walls 9 of the chute 7 are extended downwardly intermediate of their ends to form bearings 31, and these bearings have revolubly mounted therein a shaft 32 which is provided with squared end portions with which are engaged gate carrying members 33. These members pivotally receive pivotal portions or trunnions 34 of spaced gates 35 which work in correspondingly formed slots 36 in the bottom 8. The members 33 have formed integrally therewith arms 37 which are provided with longitudinally extending slots 38 in which are operatively mounted trunnions 39 from the arms 40 of a crank shaft 41. The crank shaft 41 is revolubly mounted in bearings 42 upon the side walls 9 of the chute. Rotary motion may be imparted to the shaft 41 in any suitable well known manner but I preferably provide the said shaft with a band pulley 43 which is operatively connected with a driving belt 44 which may be driven by any well known and desired power source. The construction just described is such that when the shaft 41 is revolved rocking motion is imparted to the members 33. Incident to this rocking motion of the members 33, and further incident to the fact that the gates 35 are pivotally connected with the said members it will be understood that the gates will be moved or reciprocated vertically in opposite directions. In this manner one gate projects into the incline when the members 33 lie angularly with respect to the bottom 8.

The frame 1 of the apparatus is provided at its forward end with a transverse support 45 upon which is mounted a bracket member 46 which carries vertically disposed spaced bearings 47 in which a driven shaft 48 is mounted. The bearings 47 are provided with horizontally disposed bearings 49 in which the lower ends of vertical shafts 50 are j ournaled. These shafts are further journaled in bearing members 51 which are pivotally connected with the side walls 10 of the retarding member. It may be stated that the apertures formed in the bearing members 51 are sufficiently large with respect to the sizes l of the shafts 50 so that a perfect angular adjustment of the retarding member can be obtained. The shafts 50 have mounted therein horizontally disposed conveying disks 52 which are preferably constructed from slate or such material wherein a broad and substantial friction face can be obtained. The disks 52 have their peripheral edges associated close to each other at a point centrally of the incline for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained. The forward end of the plate 22 is positioned with respect to the disks 52 so that an exit or discharge passage 53 is formed centrally of the apparatus. The shafts 50 are provided at their lower ends with bevel pinions 54 which mesh with similar pinions 55 upon the shaft 48. Bearings 56 are carried by the members 5 of the frame and as shown, these bearings have revolubly mounted therein a driven shaft 57 which is provided with a main driven pulley 58 which may be geared by means of a belt 59 to a motor or other suitable power source. The shaft 57 is also provided with a pulley 60 which is disposed in line with a pulley 61 upon the shaft 48, and as illustrated, the pulleys 60 and 61 respectively are operatively connected with each other by a belt 62.

Downwardly and rearwardly ,inclined conveying gutters or troughs 63 are located at the sides of the apparatus and are preferably disposed at their forward ends immediately beneath portions of the disks 52. These troughs or gutters carry vertical posts 64 with which are engaged the outer extremities of sweeping members or deflectors 65. The inner extremities of the said sweeping members or deflectors are preferably looped around or otherwise loosely engaged with the shafts 50. An inclined trough or gutter 66 extends transversely of the apparatus at the forward end thereof and is disposed partly beneath the disks 52 and extends entirely across the passage 53 which is formed at a point between the disks and the forward end of the plate 22.

In operation of the herein described slate picker, material such as coal or the like which contains a. quantity of slate is dumped into the incline at the extreme upper extremity thereof. Assuming the shaft 41 to be in operation it will be seen that the gates 35 will be actuated in a manner so that the desired quantity of material may be permitted to enter into the front portion of the chute, from which point it will be delivered into the retarding member. The angular adjustment of the retarding member is such that its position angularly with respect to the position of the incline may be changed at the will of the operator to regulate the velocity of the material. By providing the plate 22 or like member which is formed with a friction surface it is obvious that the slate engaging surface of the plate will be sufficient to retard the movement of the slate, while coal or similar particles will be free to jump across the exit passage 53 and entirely across the disks 52, from which point the coal or the like may be delivered to a suitable dump or storage receptacle. The disks 52 revolve in opposite directions and take the movements of the arrows shown in Fig. 1. After the slate has been discharged from the plate 22 it will either fall into the exit passage 53, or it will be discharged upon the conveying disks. Incident to the movements of the disks when in operation the slate will be carried toward the sweeping members or deflectors 65 where it may accumulate to a slight extent and then be discharged into the troughs or gutters 63. From the troughs or gutters, the'slate may be finally conveyed to any suitable point. The plate 22 may be adjusted angularly with respect to the bottom 12 of the retarding member so that the material to be separated from the slate can be effectively forced by gravitation across the conveying disks as will be appreciated.

I claim 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a fixed inclined chute, angularly adjustable retarding means communicating with the chute, a pair of horizontally disposed oppositely revoluble conveying disks located forwardly of the retarding means, sliding gates carried by the chute and located rearwardly of the said retarding means, and means for sliding the gates in opposite directions.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined chute, angularly adjustable retarding means communicating with the chute, an angularly adjustable plate carried by the retarding means, a pair of closely associated conveying disks forwardly of the said plate, said disks being spaced from the plate so as to form an exit passage, a trough communicating with the said exit passage, and troughs communicating with the disks.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising horizontally disposed revoluble conveying disks, chutes communicating with the disks, sweeps cooperating with the disks, and an adjustable retarder located adjacent to the disks.

at. An apparatus of the class described comprising horizontally disposed oppositely revoluble conveying disks, chutes communieating with the disks, an inclined chute, an adjustable retarder carried by the chute and having its lower end disposed slightly above the said disks, and sliding gates carried by the chute and located immediately at the rear of the said adjustable retarder.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising horizontal revoluble conveying disks, chutes connnunicating with the disks,

a material feeding chute, an adjustable retarding member at the forward end of the chute, and an adjustable plate carried by the said retarder and disposed in juxtaposition to the said disks.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising an adjustable retarding member, material feeding means comn'mnicating with the said retarding member, an adjustable plate at the forward end of the retarding member, and oppositely revoluble material conveying disks forwardly of the said adjustable plate.

7. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined chute, oppositely sliding gates located between the ends of the chute, angularly adjustable retarding means at the forward end of the said chute, an adjustable plate at the forward end of the said retarding means, and revoluble conveying disks forwardly of the said adjustable plate.

8. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined chute, angularly adjustable retarding means at the forward end of the said chute, a pair of horizontally disposed conveying disks forwardly of the said retarding means, a movable plate carried by the retarding means, and means for moving the plate toward or away from the said disks.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising a chute, angularly adjustable retarding means communicating with the chute, a pair of revoluble disks forwardly of the said retarding means, said disks being arranged in a common plane and provided with means whereby they may be driven in opposing directions, and a movable plate carried by the retarding means, said plate being adapted for movement toward or away from the said disks.

10. An apparatus of the class described comprising a chute, angularly adjustable retarding means at one end of the chute, an angularly adjustable plate carried by the said retarding means, a pair of oppositely reciprocating gates carried by the chute and located rearwardly of the said retarding means, conveying disks located forwardly of the said adjustable plate, and chutes arranged immediately beneath the conveying disks and inclined downwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

11. An apparatus of the class described comprising a chute, angularly adjustable retarding means at one end of the chute, a member carried by the retarding means and movably connected therewith, said member being provided with a friction working surface, oppositely revoluble conveying disks forwardly of the said member, means for moving the member toward or away from the disks, said conveying disks each being provided with a friction working surface, said conveying disks being disposed with respect to the said movable member of the retarding means to form an exit passage between the member and the dlsks, and feed gates carried by the chute and located rear-' Wardly of the said retarding means.

12. An apparatus of the class described comprising a chute, retarding means operatively connected with the chute and adapted for angular adjustment, a movable plate upon the bottom of the retarding means and at the forward end thereof, aplurality of closely associated horizontally disposed revoluble disks forwardly of the said movable plate and located out of a plane therewith, and means for moving the plate toward or away from the disks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

W. J. OWENS.

J. CAroN, Jr. 

